Daniel Radcliffe has publicly shown his support for trans women after Harry Potter author JK Rowling was accused of making transphobic statements on Twitter at the weekend. The 30-year-old actor penned a short essay for the Trevor Project in which he stated that "transgender women are women". He said that he recognised his statements risked interpretation as "in-fighting" between himself and Jo, but added "that is really not what this is about, nor it is what's important right now". Furthermore, he said he hopes the author's comments will not "taint" the series for fans.
Daniel Radcliffe penned a short essay, stating "Transgender women are women"
Daniel, who starred as the titular wizard in the Harry Potter movie franchise based on JK Rowling's books, stated definitively in the article that "transgender women are women". "Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I," he wrote.
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JK Rowling attracted criticism at the weekend following tweets she posted online. She shared an article discussing "people who menstruate", writing: "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" Critics accused the 54-year-old of being transphobic, an accusation she strongly denies.
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Daniel shared his thoughts on her remarks through the LGBT suicide prevention charity, The Trevor Project. He said that while the author "is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken... as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment".
Daniel starred as the titular character in the Harry Potter franchise
"According to The Trevor Project, 78 percent of transgender and nonbinary youth reported being the subject of discrimination due to their gender identity," Daniel wrote. "It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm… I am still learning how to be a better ally."
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He also encouraged fans of Harry Potter not to let JK's comments ruin the series for them. "To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you," Daniel said. "I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you."
The Harry Potter series has sold more than 500million copies worldwide
"If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion, nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much."